Studies on Egg Yolk Cholesterol

MIYAMORI (1934) has reported the cholesterol content of egg yolk to be relatively constant among the eggs of different species of birds. However, the reports of Gaujoux and Krijanowsky (1932) and Achard et al. (1934) indicate that the duck’s egg is markedly richer in yolk cholesterol than the hen’s egg. There is little comparative information on the variation of yolk cholesterol among hens’ eggs. Edwards et al. (1960) have reported significant yolk cholesterol differences among eight strains of hens. In this study the yolk cholesterol of a random-bred strain of hens is reported together with a number of phenotypic correlations between yolk cholesterol and other physiological traits. S. C. White Leghorns, obtained as hatching eggs from the randombred flock maintained at Cornell University, were housed in a single floor pen. In November, 1957, and March, 1958, two consecutively-laid eggs were gathered from all birds in production. A total of …